Kentaro Sakaguchi Shines in Ryota Nakano’s ‘I Don’t Know You’ as Goodfellas Takes on Sales at EFM

EXCLUSIVE: A first look has been unveiled of Japanese actor and model Kentaro Sakaguchi in the titular role of I Don’t Know You, directed by Ryota Nakano. The film is set to attract attention at the European Film Market this month.

Sakaguchi, currently gaining recognition in Japan, has appeared in recent projects such as the Netflix Original Series Beyond Goodbye and the romantic drama What Comes After Love.

The drama I Don’t Know You explores themes of paternal love, forgiveness, and redemption. It centers on a teenager named Asako and her complex relationship with Yuhei, a man who became a father figure for six months during her early childhood when he dated her mother. Thirteen years later, Asako learns that Yuhei is serving a prison sentence for the murder of her mother.

In the film, Sakaguchi portrays Yuhei, a man whose loneliness leads him to form a bond with Asako and her mother before ultimately committing an unforgivable act.

Nakano, noted for his previous success with the comedy-drama The Asadas, which grossed over $10 million in Japan in 2020, is recognized for his exploration of family dynamics. His film about a photographer, whose work took on new meaning following Japan’s 2011 earthquake and tsunami, further highlights his thematic focus.

Throughout his career, Nakano has tackled family relationships in films such as Capturing Dad (2012) and Her Love Boils Bath Water (2016).

I Don’t Know You was filmed in Tokyo and nearby towns Chiba and Saitama last year, and is currently in post-production. The complete cast is expected to be announced in the coming months.

This film is a Japanese-French co-production, led by Kazumi Fukase at The Klockworx Co., Ltd. and Yusuke Wakabayashi at Pipeline, in collaboration with Pyramide Productions, known for the Cannes 2022 Jury Prize winner The Eight Mountains.

Klockworx Co., Ltd. will distribute I Don’t Know You in Japan, having previously managed the release of Nakano’s Her Love Boils Bath Water. The company’s recent projects include Kenji Uchida’s Key of Life, and the Academy Award-winning film I’m Still Here.

KMBO has pre-bought French rights for the film, a distributor known for bringing critically acclaimed titles such as Ildiko Enyedi’s Silent Friend to the screen.

Cinematographer Hiroshi Iwanaga is involved in the project, with composer Hiroko Sebu, known for I Want To Eat Your Pancreas, set to create the score.

Kazumi Fukase from Klockworx remarked, “At Klockworx, we are dedicated to working with directors who create bold and original films from Japan. Director Nakano stands as one of the strongest and most distinctive creative voices in Japanese cinema today. With this project, we are proud to present a truly original work born in Japan—one that goes beyond existing IP and speaks powerfully to audiences around the world.”